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Tourist Information Office of Irkutsk

The municipal state-financed organization «Tourist Information Office of Irkutsk” was set up to give comprehensive information support to the tourists, who visit Irkutsk. We give detailed information about local sights, excursion routes, transport, entertainment and shopping in our city. Visit our office, and we provide you with tourist materials – city maps, guide-books and booklets.

How to get to our office?

Where are we at?

If you go to Irkutsk by train: You should take the minibus (“marshrutka”) №20 or the tram №4а, which depart from the Central Railway Station every 10-20 min. These routes are direct. The trip takes about 20-30 min. If you take the minibus 20, you should get off at the station “Delta”, if the tram №4a – at the station “Museum of the Decembrists” (Musey Dekabristov), and then you should follow the guide signs. Ticket price is 15 rubles for person.

If you go to Irkutsk by plane: You should take the minibus (“marshrutka”) №20 or bus №42 or №43, get off at the bus station “Krasnogvardeyskaya” and go on foot 200 m to the first crossroads. The trip takes 15-20 min.

Public transport fare in Irkutsk is 15 rubles per person. In minibuses (“marshrutka”) no tickets are given.

What are our working hours?

We work everyday from 9:00 till 18:00 (mo-fr). During summer period, starting with the 1st of Mai till 30 September, we switch to new schedule from 9:00 till 18:00, including weekends at the main office and extra office at the Kirov Square.Our extra office at the train Station start to work from 9:00 till 18:00 (except mo, sun)

Contacts:

+7 (3952) 20-50-18

irkvisit@hotmail.com

www.facebook.com/irkvisit.info

In our office you can:

Get a free consultation in Russian, English, German and French, take advantage of free Internet access, temporarily leave your luggage, buy some souvenirs or refreshments .

Irkutsk

Irkutsk is the largest city in eastern Siberia and the administrative center of Irkutsk region. Founded in 1661 and located in the valley of the Angara River, at the confluence of two of its tributaries - the Irkut and Ushakovka Irkutsk has become a central city in Eastern Siberia. The Trans-Siberian Railway is located 55 km from the unique natural complex, a World Heritage site - Lake Baikal.

Irkutsk is a commercial, cultural and scientific center of East Siberia, there are more than 600 thousand citizens.

Lake Baikal

The Baikal is located in the very heart of Asia. The lake stretches 620 km from northeast to southwest in the form of a gigantic crescent.

The Baikal is attractive for tourists all seasons of the year. The water temperature of superficial layers doesn’t exceed +8-9° C even in summer, in some bays - +15° C. The temperature of deep layers is about +4° C.

The navigation period is from June to September. The peak of tourist season in Irkutsk and on the Baikal is from July to August, because of that it’s better to plan your journey and book tickets and hotels beforehand.

Climate

The climate of Irkutsk is influenced by Lake Baikal and the water storage basin near the city. Because of that winter is softer, and summer is colder. Winter on the Baikal means transparent Baikal ice, fair frosty weather and blue sky! This is the time for active entertainment: dog-sledding, skiing and downhill skiing, snowmobiling. January is the coldest month; the Baikal is fully frozen in January as a rule. Average temperature during winter is -18° C to -35° C. Air temperature can go down to -50° C in some northern areas of Irkutsk Oblast. Ice river crossings are open normally in February. All points of ice river crossing are cleared of snow and equipped with traffic signs. The skiing season normally starts in November and continues till the end of May. There are 4 ski resorts: “Gora Sobolinaya” (Sable’s Mountain) in Baikalsk, “Eastland” in Listvyanka village, “Olkha” in Olkha village and “Ershgora” in Irkutsk. You can get to any ski resort by taking a minibus from the central railway station or from the central bus station. Spring comes late, but at the beginning of April it gets warm. In May floating of ice starts. Summer is short, but can be very hot. Summer starts at the end of May and continues till September. Average air temperature in July, the hottest month, varies from +15° C to +20° C. Peak temperature in the most districts of Irkutsk Oblast can go beyond +30° C. The first part of summer is hot and dry as a rule. Autumn continues about a month and is characterized by sudden changes in temperature and early light frosts. Daily average temperature in the short period from mid September to mid October falls below zero. The number of fair days increases. At the end of October the earth is already covered by snow. Most rivers are frozen in November. As concerns the number of sunny days, Irkutsk Oblast isn’t inferior to the Crimea and the North Caucasus in this respect! The annual number of sunshine hours depends on the district and varies from 1700 to 2500 (compared with 2007 hours in Kislovodsk and 2300 hours on the southern shore of the Crimea).

Trip to the Baikal

The weather on the Baikal is very changeable. If you plan an outing, you should take warm clothes (windcheater, sweater, warm sports shoes) even in summer. If you want to make a cruise or a boat trip, you should also take a warm cap. In June there are a lot of mites in taiga, but the correct preparation for a walk can minimize the risk of being stringed. You should put on long trousers and a shirt with long sleeves. Don’t walk bareheaded and conceal all of the body except the face ideally.

The rules of conduct in Pribaikalskiy National Park:

It’s not allowed:

to change the route endorsed by the administration of the Park. Exceptions can be extraordinary situations

to make use of any synthetic washer

to make a fire except the places specially equipped for it and to leave a smouldering fire

to throw away garbage

to make any inscriptions on stones or trees

to break or cut trees, bushes, roots and to plunck birch bark

to gather archeological or ethnographical collections and herbariums

to hunt on the territory of the National Park, to bring with you any guns or traps

to move around the National Park by transport vehicles outside public roads.

If you want to gather berries, mushrooms or pine nuts, you should get permission from the administration of the Park.

In the near future tourist routes will be equipped with signs, sites for camping and making a fire and observation points. It will make visiting of the Park more comfortable and safer.

Customs treatment

A tourist is entitled to bring in the country without paying any custom duties:

under 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos, or 200 cigarettes, or 250 g tobacco;

under 2 liters spirits;

any goods that cost no more than 65 thousand rubles and weight no more 35 kg.

It is prohibited to import and to export pornographic materials, any materials containing a professional or state secret, examples of weapon or ammunition. Unauthorized export and import of rare animals are also prohibited. Items are liable to declaration: precious metals and stones, weapon and ammunition, radioactive materials, explosive materials, narcotic and psychotropic drugs, toxic agents, potent pharmaceutical agents, radio transmitting and radio receiving equipment with operating frequency more than 9 kHz art and cultural values.

Public transportation

Public transport fare in Irkutsk is 12 rubles per person. In minibuses (“marshrutka”), buses and trolleybuses you should pay the driver by getting off, in trams – the conductor by getting on. Public transport begins to run at 06:00 a.m.

Irkutsk Airport

You can get to the city center from the airport by taxi (about 200 rubles), by the bus №80k, №480, №3 or № 90 or the minibus №20 or №61.

Irkutsk Railway Station

You can get to the city center from the Central Railway Station by taking the tram №1, 2 or 4a and the minibus №20, 116 or 16.

Open hours of shops, banks and museums

Museums and exhibition centers of Irkutsk are opened daily from 10:00 to 18:00. The normal operating times for big shopping centers are from 10:00 to 22:00. Train ticket office of the Central Railway Station is opened 24 hours a day. The Central Bus Station is opened for passengers from 06:45 to 19:00. Cafes and restaurants are usually opened from 10-11:00 to 00:00.

Migration registration of foreign citizens

The procedure of the migration registration implies informing (notifying) a relevant territorial office of the Federal Migration Service of a foreign citizen's arrival to the place of sojourn and must be carried out in the course of seven working days after his or her arrival to the Russian Federation.